This is not the first application to be published on the topic. For instance, on March 3, 2011, application 12/553,534, Location Histories for Location Aware Devices, was published. That application focuses on the process of storing network transmitted information in a database, and translating the data into position coordinates.

Abstract

A mobile device establishes communication with a number of wireless cellular networks at particular locations and records the locations and network information associated with the wireless cellular networks. The network information can be used to narrow a search for an available wireless cellular network from a plurality of potentially available wireless cellular networks when the mobile device is operating at a stored location. In one aspect, a Radio Frequency (RF) receiver on a mobile device can receive a broadcast radio signal from a transmitter and use the signal to determine an approximate location of the device based on a known location of the transmitter. A match between the approximate device location and wireless cellular network transmitters in communication range of the mobile device can be used to narrow a search for wireless cellular networks.

Representative Claim

1. A method performed by one or more processors of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of broadcast radio signals;

processing the broadcast radio signals to determine an approximate location of the mobile device based on known locations of transmitters that are transmitting the broadcast radio signals;

determining a plurality of wireless cellular networks that can potentially communicate with the mobile device at the approximate location;

establishing a search order for the plurality of wireless cellular networks; and

searching for at least one of the plurality of wireless cellular networks based on the search order.

Mr. Igoe is a registered Patent Attorney with over a decade of prior experience in the architecture, design, implementation, and management of large-scale embedded-systems software. He was COO/CTO of a leading patent consultancy. He is also a member of the Bars of PA, EDPA, CA3, CAFC, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is also a former Summer Associate of Fish & Richardson.

Mr. Igoe holds a B.S. in Computer Science, an M.S. in Software Development, and an M.S. in Imaging Science from RIT, an M.B.A. from Duke, and a J.D. from Temple.
He is an inventor on twenty-three issued U.S. patents in the digital print, social networking, and digital home entertainment spaces.

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